The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-12-23
By WILLIAM PITTENGER,
A MEMBER OF THE EXPEDITION.
copyrighted, 1887, by War Publishing Co., N. Y,
and published by arrangement with them.
CHAPTER y
IN SIGHT!


Before they reached Calhoun, however,
Andrews was released from his perilous
position. After he had chatted with the
conductor ard engineer of the down
freight for some time and found them in
disposed to go on their way, he said in the
most matter of fact and positive manners:
II must press on without more delay
Pull your engine ahead and let me out. {"
When the order was given in this direct
form they were obliged to obey or give q
good reason for refusing; and it may be
considered certain that If they had de-
layed, though Andrews did not threaten
violence, yet our engineers would at once
have taken control and executed the
order, probably not without bloodshed.
AT last we are on the main track, with
no train between us and CHATTANOOGA
and If the reports from Huntsville are
true there is no obstruction west of that
town. as all travel is cut off by Mitchell.
There is reason for eXultation OH our part.
An open road ahead and scores of miles of
INSTRUCTED and broken track behind us!
For the whole morning VIC have been
running with u train right in front of us,
or waiting for belated one. We had
passed five trains, all but one either eX-
tras or behind time-a wonderful achieve
ment! now the way is clear to our own
lines; and the ''Y' at Chattanooga is no
moro difficult Of PASSAGE than any of the
many side tracks we have already success
fully encountered. No small amount of
the eXultacion we felt on first taking the
train was again ours, Us we rushed rap
idly on for o milo or more, and then
stopped to cut the wire, and to take up q
rail (as we hoped for the last time. The
Oostenauln bridge was just ahead, and
when that was burned, we would simply
run from bridge to bridge, firing them
as we passed; and no moro Of
this hard drudgery Of track rails
ing and still moro terrible work
of sitting silent and housed in q dark car
waiting for trains to arrive! We had
heard the whistle of following train
dozen miles back, but it probably was one
from Kingston, end if not wrecked by the
broken rail, would return there for tools.
We knew nothing Of Fuller's and Muir
PHYS pursuit, and if we had been told the
full story, rs already narrated, we would
have thought it too wild and improbable
even for good fiction.
But it was expedient to take up this
one rail more before we finally changed
our mode of operations. A piece of torn
track had been put before or after every
Train that we had met. 1t was well to
put O broken road behind this passenger
train also, that it might not turn back
otter us on any sudden suspicious freak
and come upon us while working at the
Resaca (OOstenaula) bridge. The crisis
~ our fate approached, and we believed it
would be triumphantly passed. Nothing
md as yet been lost but time and IL we
were fairly prosperous for fifteen minutes
more, all would be regained; and the full
Nlment OF all our hopes, as far as human
prospects could reach, be in our own
lands.
No wonder that we worked gladly and
cheerfully. Scott climbed the pole with
even moro than usual agility. Some
worked at the taking in of all kinds of
combustiblcs, for we wished to be well
provided for the bridge. Every stick and
pieco of wood we could get hold of was
soaking wet, but by breaking and whiting
they could be made to add to % fame, and
from the engine, which was kept full of
wood for the purpose, we could give
good start to fire. We had only one
iron bar to drive out our spikes; o bent
."crow's foot' would have been worth
more than it's weight in gold; but we
hammered away with what we had, and
spike after spike was drawn. Here saw
Andrews show real impatience for tho
iirst-I am not sure but / may say the
only-time. He had altered his dress,
throwing off the cape and high hat that
he wore while at stations, and had
small cop on, which greatly changed his
appearance. The nearing Of the time
when his plans would all eliminate in
success seemed to thrill and inspire him.
lie snatched the iron bar out of the hands
of the man who was welding it, and
though we had strong and practiced
workmcn in our party-I had not
before seen the blows rained down
with such precision and force. Some
say that he uttered an oath on this occa-
sion, but though standing by l did not
hear him, the only words I did hear be-
ing directions about tho work, given in
his mild tones, but with quite an en-
phatic ring of triumph in them. He
wanted that rail up in the fewest number
of seconds and then-the bridget There
were several using lever of green wood,
and trying to tear up the end Of q rail
from which the spikes had not yet been
drawn; but the lever bent too much, and
fence rail was added and we lifted again.
At that instant, loud and clear from tho
south, came the whistle Of the engine in
pursuit! 1t was near by and running at
lightning speed. The roll Of n thousand
thunders could not have startled us more.
What could we do? At the end where
we had been prying the rail it was bent,
but it was still too firmly fixed for us to
hope to lift it or break It like the last.
But we did the best in our power; we
bent the loose end up still further and put
the fence rail carefully under it, with the
hope that it would compel tho pursuers
either to stop and adjust it or throw them
from the track, and then piled into tho
car and engine with celeritv born of
iopn practice. and with one of its old